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On
a rather cool and gloomy Sunday, I needed to
go into work for a bit, so I decided to get
some Thai food. Fate had other plans, as the
restaurant I want to go to was closed. I was
hungry, though!! I drove around
trying to scrounge up somewhere else to go. Could
have done Indian at Maharajah (one of my favorites
that I don't get to enough!). I attempted
Bangkok Orchid - closed. Toyed with going to
Kosta's for Greek... nah... Lakeside Inn... wait!!
County Clare!! I know the Irish aren't
known for their vegetarian fare, but I know that
most restaurants offer something, so I went
in.
The
first time I saw this place, I was
reminiscing with a friend, driving around trying to
find an apartment of some old friends who lived
below street level like Laverne and Shirley. There,
where the building used to stand, was County Clare.
I was a little disappointed, as I loved that
little apartment, but the building was so
beautiful, I couldn't hold a grudge.
It's
a wonderful feeling, walking in this beautiful
salmon colored stucco building with dark green
trim, walking on the green marbled floors, past the
Irish gift shop and heading into the restaurant to
hear live Celtic music. A little jam session was
going on in the corner, with 6 or 7 musicians
playing fiddle, recorder, squeezebox, etc... A warm
and inviting place, bright and friendly with lots
of windows looking out onto Astor and Juneau
intersection (a beautiful view of the lovely St.
Paul church on Juneau!), Celtic slogans trimming
the walls up high, beautiful stained glass with
Irish county names (correct me if I'm wrong!), dark
wood tables with deep green tops, and the most
interesting place mats I've ever seen. If you were
lucky enough to catch the exhibit of Guinness ad
campaigns at the Eisner
Museum,
you'll recognize a few of the ads on the black,
1/4" thick reusable mats on the tables. Very
interesting, very cool, and I'm sure they get
plenty of inquiries as to where one could acquire
them (perhaps even the gift shop)!
Sure
enough, my initial thoughts were right on - not a
lot to eat here for a vegetarian. Lots of corned
beef, shepherd's pie, those types of traditional
types of Irish food. So I ordered the grilled
vegetable salad and a side order of sour cream and
onion mashed potatoes.
When
the salad arrived, it was huge! A big bed of fresh
baby greens, a little diced tomatoes and shredded
carrot, topped with warm sautéed yellow and
green zucchini and sweet red pepper, sprinkled with
nice chunks of gorgonzola. This was the best
salad I have ever eaten. Simply
perfect. I pretty much inhaled it, hoping no
one was paying attention to the fact that I was
barely able to pause between bites, and almost
forgetting about my wonderful mashed potatoes (but
managing to fit in about 1/4 of them before having
them packed up to take home). They were a nice side
indulgence. Homemade, slightly chunky and thick,
they were a stick-to-your-ribs blend of sour cream
and a small bit of green onion. Prices: $6.95 for
the salad, $1.95 for the spuds.
While
this place is charming, clean and Celtic, and the
service was quick and cordial, County Clare may
become a frequent lunch stop for me simply for this
salad!! :-) They also have a bed breakfast,
which I heard is nice, but pricey. Sorry. I'm not
going to start reviewing B & Bs!
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